Closure and method of manufacturing the same



Dec. 8, 1936.

c. E. M MANUS 2,063,455, CLOSURE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed March 25, 1934 Patented Dec. 8, 1936 PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE AND METHOD.0F MANU AC- TUBING THESAME Charles E. McManns,

Spring Lake, N. J assignor to Crown Cork & Seal Company,

Inc., Baltimore, MIL, a corporation of New York Application March 23, 1934, Serial No. 117,104:

2 Claims- The present invention relates to caps of the neath the sealing head of a container when the.

cap is applied thereto.

By having the skirt smooth and unobstructed,

15 not only is the cap rendered more attractive, but

the sealing capacity is very materially enhanced. For example, there are no corrugations or fluted portions in the skirt which would be expansible, and the skirt therefore when drawn over the 20 sealing lip and head of the container will closely fit and follow the contour of the same. This is important because when the cap is applied to a container, the lower edge of the skirt is drawn beneath the sealing bead and continuously grips 25 the bead circumierentially, exerting a very high downward sealing pressure. s downward sealing pressure is directly translated to the top of the cap and its cushion liner and therefore dn'ectly to the lip of the container with which the cush- 30 ion engages. v

I find by using an integral rim extending at right angles to the smooth and unobstructed skirt, that the cap and rim will be drawn down without requiring that the skirt be engaged by the .cap 35' applying throat so that the skirt when the cap engage the rim to bend it downwardly and the 40 skirt being plane, will not be engaged by the throat, whence no weakening or expansible indentations will be formed in the skirt.

By Iolding the metal of the rim, 1. e., doubling it under and inwardly upon itself and flattening 45 the doubled metal, the rim is strengthened and stiffened so that the cap holds its shape.

also enables the cap to be prized from a container without distortion. The usual crown when subjected to a prising tool is so distorted as to not 50 be capable of reuse. The present cap, however,

is prized with a minimum of distortion and retains its resiliency and shape whereby it can be reapplied to the container to form an effective seal. The thickened and stiffened rim translates 5, and distributes the prizing strain upon either side of the point of engagement of the prizing tool with the cap so that the cap is removable with but a very slight lifting force. This it will be appreciated also aids in eliminating the possibilities of distortion and enables the cap to be used as a reseal.

As stated, the rim is provided circumferentially with corrugations or flutes. These corrugations are characterized by plane portions extending substantially parallel to the top of the cap and at right angles to the skirt. The plane portions are spaced apart by substantially V-shaped or U-shaped portions, the ridges of which are likewise parallel to the top of the cap and to the plane portions and extend radially at right angles to the skirt.

When the cap is applied to a container, the skirt and the rim are drawn downwardly; the rim is bent from a position at right angles to the skirt to a vertical position with the plane portions of the corrugations disposed beneath the sealing bead of the container to form locking shoulders and the substantially V-shaped portions forming in effect projections of the skirt; and the lower edge of the skirt is drawn beneath the sealing bead of the container to continuously grip the same circumierentially. As stated, the plane portions of the corrugations form inwardly extending locking shoulders lying in a vertical plane which is substantially a projection of the sealing head of the container while the substantially V- shaped or U-shaped portions lie in a vertical plane kirt. There is a slight flare produced by. the substantially V- shaped or U-shaped portions such as will readily permit the entrance of a prizing tool between the cap and the neck of the container.

The downward sealing pressure exerted by the cap upon the cushion and sealing lip of the container is the sum of two forces. In the first place, 40 the inwardly drawn lower edge of the skirt has a substantially continuous gripping engagement with the under-surface of the sealing head of the container; and secon the inwardly directed locking shoulders formed by the plane surfaces of the corrugations enhance and rigidiiy this gripping engagement. Moreover, the bending of the rim downwardly and the drawing of the locking shoulders and the lower edge of the skirt beneath the bead produces a reaction in that the substantially V-shaped or U-shaped portions of the corrugations are collapsed or drawn together, thereby fortiiying ping engagement between the'lower edge of the skirt and the under-surface of the sealing bead. w

At the same time'the cap is rendered resilient and flexible so that when removed, it may be easily reapplied and form an eflicient seal. Stated briefly, the collapsing of the corrugations produces in effect radial vertically disposed stifiening projections.

The advantages of the present construction aside from the remarkable sealing and resealing qualities which it possesses, also include a very important saving in manufacturing costs. For example, the cap of the present invention may be manufactured from much thinner gauge metal than the usual crown caps; a sealing liner of substantially one-half the thickness of the usual liner is employed; and a cheaper adhesive is utilized. These are important considerations when it is considered that more than eighty million gross of caps of] the crown type are manufactured yearly. II,

Referring to the drawing:'

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a hat-shaped shell or blank;

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the marginal edge of the shell curled inwardly;

Figure 3 is a bottom elevation of a shell of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 having the rim portion provided with corrugations;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view partly broken away showing in detail the flattened and folded edge portion tions formed therein;

Figure 6 is an elevation showing the cap apas a bottle for beverages or alcoholic liquors;

Figure '7 is a sectional view of the cap applied to a bottle with the lower edge of the skirt and the plane portions of the corrugations drawn inwardly beneath the sealing bead of the container and with the substantially V-shaped or U-shaped portions of the corrugations collapsed crown or crimped caps.

In the operation of forming the cap, the metal is first drawn into the form' of a hat-shaped shell I having a top II, a skirt I2 and an integral rim I3 extending parallel with the top of the cap or at substantially a right angle to the skirt I2 with which it is integrally connected at the lower edge of the skirt, all as shown in Figure 1.

The raw edge or marginal portion I4 of the rim I3 of the hat-shaped blank is curled inwardly beneath the rim as shown in Figure 2 to partially underlie the same. This curl may extend tions are spaced apart by alte nate intermediate portions I8, which are substantially V-shaped or U-shaped in cross-section with the ridges thereof lying in a plane parallel to the top of the cap and the plane portions I 1, and extending radially at substantially right angles to the skirt. The ridges and plane portions merge with the lower edge of the skirt or curved lines as shown in Figures 4 and at I9.

While I have described the folded or doubled portion of the rim I5, I6 as being flattened, it will be understood that in some cases the portions of the folded metal lying within the V-shaped or U-shaped portions I8 of the corrugations alone are flattened, while the portions of the folded metal coextensive with the flattened portions I1 of the corrugations are not forced into contact with the adjacent under-surface of the rim, being relatively open.

In curling the rim as described, any irregularities in the raw edge are removed and the edge of the rim becomes uniform, while at the same time the raw edge no danger of cutting the fingers or edge of the cap rust.

It is to be observed that the skirt I2 is circumferentially plane and unobstructed; in other Words it is not vertically corrugated and the corrugations are disposed entirely in the circumferential rim I3. This rim is reinforced and stiffened by the in-folding of its margin or circumferential edge to lie beneath the undersurface of the rim and in contact therewith, i. e., wholly or partly flattened as described. These are imof the invention in that a very high'sealing pressure will be exerted upon the cap, and in addition the cap resists deformation so that it may be reused as a seal without seriously affecting its sealing qualities.

The cap is applied to a container by drawing the same over the sealing lip thereof. In Figure '7, I have shown, partially in section, the sealing lip of a container having the sealing bead 20. When the cap is applied to this container, the skirt and rim are drawn downwardly thereover. The rim is bent to a position as shown in Figures 6 and 7 with the plane portions I1 thereof extending beneath and within the projection of the sealing bead 20; the U-shaped or V-shaped portions I8 extend downwardly substantially in a line with or as a projection of the skirt I2. The U-shaped or V-shaped portions may present a slight flare but, in general, they form continuations of the projection of the skirt.

The capping throat, plied and which serves of having the assures a continuous circumferential gripping engagement of the skirt with the adjacent undersurface of the bead 20 of the container and progage the sealing lip, is directly translated to the top and cushion of the cap and hence directly to the sealing lip of the container.

Referring to Figure 7, it will be noted that the cushion 22, which, because of the high sealing pressure obtained with the present cap, need be only half the thickness of the usual cushion liner,

is concealed, so that there is V the sealingbead 20, at the same time drawingthe lower edge 2| of the skirt into gripping engagement with the undersurface of the sealing bead 20-. This operation, moreover, causes the U-shaped or V-shaped portions I8 to be collapsed or have their sides moved inwardly substantially towards each other, due to the bending of the rim' downwardly. This collapsing of the corrugations serves to rigidify'the cap and particularly acts to intensify the engagement of the lower edge of the skirt with the under-surface of the sealing bead of the container. Hence, the downward sealing pressure is the sum of the gripping forces exertedby the lower edge of the skirt upon the sealing bead plus the tension exerted by the collapsing of the V-shaped or U-shaped portions of the corrugations. In effect, these collapsed corrugations form vertically disposed radially extending stiffening projections which resist any tendency of the gripping engagement of the lower edge of the cap with the sealing bead of the container to loosen. When the cap is prized from the container, however, these collapsed projections constitute resilient means enabling the cap to be pressed over the sealing lip and bead and acting to produce a downward sealing force sufilciont to assure an eilective resealing.

Referring to Figure 7, it will be observed that .ihe inwardly directed locking shoulders H are sufficiently spaced from the wall of the container to permit the insertion of a suitable prizing tool. Since the prizing tool will engage the rim only of the cap, and since the rim is circumferentially reinforced, a very slight pressure is necessary to remove the cap over the sealing bead. That is, the rim being stiffened, in the exercise of the prizing action, the force is translated for a considerable distance on either side of the point of engagement of the prizing tool with the cap and in this manner, only a relatively slight force is necessary and particularly one which will not distort the cap and interfere with its rescaling value.

Further, with respect to the application of the cap to the container, by reason of the rim of the present invention, the throat of the capping tool will only engage the rim so that the skirt when applied to the container will remain free and unobstructed, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Briefly, since the skirt is not provided with indentations of any sort, it is possible to utilize a cylindrical throat to engage only the rim whereby the latter and the skirt are drawn downwardly in the manner above described and there is no engagement or action upon the skirt, such as would indent or weaken it. As heretofore stated, the downward sealing pressure pro-.

duced by the drawing of the rim and skirt downwardly and inwardly with respect to the sealing bead is translated directly to the top of the cap and the sealing lip.

By reason of the formation of the corrugations in the flattened, doubled or folded rim, they are substantially permanent. This structure, in combination with a smooth and unobstructed skirt, gives to the cap a flexibility and resilience which permits it to be easily removed without distortion and reapplied to the sealing lip to remake the seal. tents are to be used from time to time, this is an important feature, particularly since when the cap is reapplied to the sealing lip a highly efi-lcient seal is produced, due to the resilience of the rim and the skirt.

I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing metal caps which comprises forming a hat-shaped blank having a top, a substantially smooth and unobstructed skirt, and an integral rim extending at right angles to said skirt, bending the peripheral edge of the rim beneath the rim to partially underlie the same and preserving the right angle direction of the rim, corrugating the rim including the doubled metal portion thereof and flattening the bent under portion against the rim and preserving the right angle direction of the In the case of where the conrim during the corrugating operation and producing in the rim by the corrugating step, plane portions adapted to form locking shoulders engaging beneath the bead of a container and ridges adapted to form projections of the skirt when the cap is applied to a container and the rim is drawn downwardly.

2. A metal cap for containers comprising a hat-shaped shell having a top, a substantially smooth depending skirt and an integral rim extending at substantially right angles to the skirt, the peripheral edge portion of the rim being turned under the rim for a portion of the area thereof to form a doubled edge, said rim and doubled edge portion being corrugated and the turned under portion being flattened against the underside of the rim, said corrugations being defined by plane portions and ridges, the plane portions when the cap is applied to a container forming inwardly directed locking shoulders engaging beneath the bead of the container and the ridges forming projections at the skirt, said skirt having its lower edge portion engaging beneath the bead of the container, and said ridges being collapsed so that the engagement of the skirt portion with the bead of the container is substantially continuous with the collapsed ridges forming a. multiplicity of spaced stiffening members depending therefrom.

CHARLES E. MCMANUS. 

